David Bakhtiari: Jordan Love's baseline is way higher than first-year starter
Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love has started only one career regular-season game and played only 157 regular-season snaps. But he isn't your typical first-year starter, having sat behind future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers for three seasons.
And the Packers are expecting more of Love than a typical first-year starter.
"Definitely a higher standard," Packers left tackle Bakhtiari said on The Jim Rome Show, via NFL Media. "He's had three years to understand the math of the offense, which is very fortunate for any first-round quarterback to get to watch and see how a first-ballot Hall of Famer and generational talent and a guy who borderline changed the quarterback position and how it's played. And even the mechanics of even throwing the football. You're able to see that for three years and then now coming in, so yeah, his baseline for me is way higher."
Love opened the preseason going 7-of-10 for 46 yards and a touchdown Friday night.
"I've been very pleased with what I've seen from him," Bakhtiari said. "And I think he's also understanding that he's not going to be judged, either, by a first-year quarterback, which is great. I think he's going to be competitive right out of the gate. I've seen his development in practice. I'm really excited to see it translate into the game, and him to get those game time and hours logged in. And really see how he adapts and corrects himself mid-game and game to game."
Love was the last of four quarterbacks drafted in the first round in 2020, following Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. He is the last to get his chance, but the Packers have seen enough to move from Rodgers and hand the keys to Love.
It's his team and his time now.
"Seeing the growth from [Love's] rookie year to now is exponential, and that's why I'm excited to go see him execute that in a game," Bakhtiari said. "There's so many little things that the fans don't get to see or notice that happen. The game within the game, so to speak. That's what I'm really excited for him, and that's why I definitely don't view him a [first-year] quarterback."
